Major Life Changes That Can Affect Your Estate Plan

If you already have an estate plan in place including your will, specific trusts, and special instructions for the care of your property and children, you are in a good place for your future. However, you should not have a set and forget attitude about your estate plan. Complacency about your plan can mean you miss making important updates and revisions as life goes by.

Major life changes can drastically affect your plans for your estate and the stipulations you put in your will. Here are some common life changes that merit revisiting and revising your estate plan.

 

Divorce 

Divorce is one of the most drastic life changes that will affect your estate plan and will. Consider the following changes when you go through a divorce:

  • Custody and care for living children. If you pass away, will your children be safe with their other living parent? If this is not the case, you will need to speak with your lawyer about instructions for their care by another person, if possible.
  • Division of assets and disbursement of life insurance. If you die and leave your estate plan unchanged, your ex-spouse might still be the beneficiary of your life insurance policy and have access to your retirement savings and other pensions. If you do not want this to be the case, you need to change your estate plan.
  • Personal assets that no longer matter. When you wrote the estate plan, your spouse was likely involved. After the divorce, your financial situation could be very different. For example, you might not have a house that you wish to leave to a child because the house was sold in divorce proceedings.

Another change you might consider making changes to is the power of attorney in a living will. Married people commonly name their spouse as the person who makes financial, business, or medical choices for them if they are unable to do so. After a divorce, you might not want your ex to be the one making the call for you, so choose a different person instead.

 

Marriage

Another change that requires you to update or at least revisit your estate plan is marriage. If you were single, divorced, or widowed before getting married again, you might have assets you want to go to your children or to another relative instead of your new spouse. Make your wishes clear in order to divide your wealth and property the way you want.

 

Death

If someone who has a priority in your estate plan dies before you do, contact your lawyer to make a simple update. This is important if your spouse dies before you do, or if you experience the loss of a child who was to inherit everything you could give them.

For example, if you set up a trust for your child, but they pass away, you must make other plans for the trust.

 

Children

If you have a child, you will want to add them to your existing estate plan, especially if you already have some children listed as beneficiaries in your estate plan. New children can sometimes be overlooked because parents don’t update their plans in a timely manner.

 

Inheritance

Finally, if you receive a windfall yourself, your estate plan might need to change. Before, your plan might have been simple, including directions for children and for funeral costs. If you now have greater wealth and investments, you will need to talk to your lawyer about the best way to preserve the wealth for beneficiaries.

For more information on what common changes people need to make to their estate plans over time, contact us at Ivy Law Group PLLC.


3 Things Millennials Need to Know About Estate Planning

You may think that you have plenty of time to worry about making a will or other estate plans, but the truth is that you really never know what the future holds.

One survey found that 78 percent of millennials do not have a will. If you’re in that group, it’s time to start thinking about it. Take a look at some of the factors you should consider when making an estate plan.

 

Continue reading “3 Things Millennials Need to Know About Estate Planning”


Financial exploitation of seniors is elder abuse.

Even in our small corner of the world, we see adults who are vulnerable to financial exploitation.  That is one reason we work hard to ensure our senior clients are acting independently from the wishes of their adult children.  We meet with our clients separately from their caregivers, and we meet them more than once before finalizing any changes.  This protects everyone and is never meant to infer suspicion!

Be aware and informed for both your family and your senior friends and neighbors.

June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Knowing the warning signs is important, whether it’s happening to someone you care for, a friend, or you. To spot financial elder abuse, look for sudden changes like:

Suspicious changes in wills or Power of Attorney
Bills not being paid
Unusual withdrawal patterns
Excessive “voluntary” payments for care and companionship
Unusual purchases

Living Trusts, Wills, and the Consequences of Not Having Either

Do you have an estate plan in place? If you don’t, you will need to create the proper documents to ensure that your assets will be divided as you intended after you pass away. Read through some common questions about wills and living trusts, as well as what can happen if you decide not to create an estate plan.

Continue reading “Living Trusts, Wills, and the Consequences of Not Having Either”


Reason is the life of the law.

I recently visited the courthouse in Santa Barbara. It is beautiful, historic and still functioning.  The longer I’ve been practicing law, 32 years now, the greater my appreciation for the core strength it gives our country.  As challenged as our system is, we have a place to voice our issues and seek redress.  I think it’s pretty amazing.


What You Need to Know About Living Wills

Most people know a little bit about wills. In the media, the will is what helps a family know who gets what assets and how the deceased wishes to be buried. However, these types of wills are not the only reason why estate planning is important.

Although divvying up possessions and your burial plans are certainly an important part of your estate plan, a living will is also an essential part of an estate plan. Living wills help to decide things like guardianship of children should you become unable to care for them, medical decisions, and even current monetary issues.

Here’s why setting up a living will is so important no matter what age you are or what your situation in life. Continue reading “What You Need to Know About Living Wills”


3 Things You Should Consider Before You Start Estate Planning

If you haven’t written your will yet, you aren’t alone. Research has shown that 64 percent of American adults admit to not having a will, increasing the chances that their families will spend thousands of dollars sorting out their estate if they happen to pass away. Fortunately, by planning your estate early, you can prevent problems and streamline the process for your beloved family members.

Here are three things you should consider before you start estate planning, and why it matters. Continue reading “3 Things You Should Consider Before You Start Estate Planning”


Life Skills, or what I learned from watching Butterflies

Recently I participated in a Road Scholar program (amazing) and was able to observe butterflies, elephant seals, sea otters, sea lions and lots of birds. In addition to the beauty of nature, the Road Scholar traveler’s advice resonated with me.

These tenets seem like excellent life skills: Sense of humor; communicativeness; tolerance for ambiguity; ability to be non-judgmental; flexibility and adaptability; open mindedness; curiosity; self-reliance.

Some of these are a real challenge for me, but they all seem like wonderful aspirations!  What do you think?

 


Academy Awards 2018

As some of you may know, I’m a fan of the movies and enjoy watching the Oscars every year. Below is the list of nominees for this year. What are your favorites???

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
NOMINEES
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET
Call Me by Your Name
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS
Phantom Thread
DANIEL KALUUYA
Get Out
GARY OLDMAN
Darkest Hour
DENZEL WASHINGTON
Roman J. Israel, Esq.
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
NOMINEES
WILLEM DAFOE
The Florida Project
WOODY HARRELSON
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
RICHARD JENKINS
The Shape of Water
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER
All the Money in the World
SAM ROCKWELL
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
NOMINEES
SALLY HAWKINS
The Shape of Water
FRANCES MCDORMAND
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
MARGOT ROBBIE
I, Tonya
SAOIRSE RONAN
Lady Bird
MERYL STREEP
The Post
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
NOMINEES
MARY J. BLIGE
Mudbound
ALLISON JANNEY
I, Tonya
LESLEY MANVILLE
Phantom Thread
LAURIE METCALF
Lady Bird
OCTAVIA SPENCER
The Shape of Water
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
NOMINEES
THE BOSS BABY
Tom McGrath and Ramsey Naito
THE BREADWINNER
Nora Twomey and Anthony Leo
COCO
Lee Unkrich and Darla K. Anderson
FERDINAND
Carlos Saldanha
LOVING VINCENT
Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman and Ivan Mactaggart
CINEMATOGRAPHY
NOMINEES
BLADE RUNNER 2049
Roger A. Deakins
DARKEST HOUR
Bruno Delbonnel
DUNKIRK
Hoyte van Hoytema
MUDBOUND
Rachel Morrison
THE SHAPE OF WATER
Dan Laustsen
COSTUME DESIGN
NOMINEES
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Jacqueline Durran
DARKEST HOUR
Jacqueline Durran
PHANTOM THREAD
Mark Bridges
THE SHAPE OF WATER
Luis Sequeira
VICTORIA & ABDUL
Consolata Boyle
DIRECTING
NOMINEES
DUNKIRK
Christopher Nolan
GET OUT
Jordan Peele
LADY BIRD
Greta Gerwig
PHANTOM THREAD
Paul Thomas Anderson
THE SHAPE OF WATER
Guillermo del Toro
DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
NOMINEES
ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL
Steve James, Mark Mitten and Julie Goldman
FACES PLACES
Agnès Varda, JR and Rosalie Varda
ICARUS
Bryan Fogel and Dan Cogan
LAST MEN IN ALEPPO
Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed and Søren Steen Jespersen
STRONG ISLAND
Yance Ford and Joslyn Barnes
DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
NOMINEES
EDITH+EDDIE
Laura Checkoway and Thomas Lee Wright
HEAVEN IS A TRAFFIC JAM ON THE 405
Frank Stiefel
HEROIN(E)
Elaine McMillion Sheldon and Kerrin Sheldon
KNIFE SKILLS
Thomas Lennon
TRAFFIC STOP
Kate Davis and David Heilbroner
FILM EDITING
NOMINEES
BABY DRIVER
Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos
DUNKIRK
Lee Smith
I, TONYA
Tatiana S. Riegel
THE SHAPE OF WATER
Sidney Wolinsky
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
Jon Gregory
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
NOMINEES
A FANTASTIC WOMAN
Chile
THE INSULT
Lebanon
LOVELESS
Russia
ON BODY AND SOUL
Hungary
THE SQUARE
Sweden
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
NOMINEES
DARKEST HOUR
Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski and Lucy Sibbick
VICTORIA & ABDUL
Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard
WONDER
Arjen Tuiten
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
NOMINEES
DUNKIRK
Hans Zimmer
PHANTOM THREAD
Jonny Greenwood
THE SHAPE OF WATER
Alexandre Desplat
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
John Williams
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
Carter Burwell
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
NOMINEES
MIGHTY RIVER
from Mudbound; Music and Lyric by Mary J. Blige, Raphael Saadiq and Taura Stinson
MYSTERY OF LOVE
from Call Me by Your Name; Music and Lyric by Sufjan Stevens
REMEMBER ME
from Coco; Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
STAND UP FOR SOMETHING
from Marshall; Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Lonnie R. Lynn and Diane Warren
THIS IS ME
from The Greatest Showman; Music and Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
BEST PICTURE
NOMINEES
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME
Peter Spears, Luca Guadagnino, Emilie Georges and Marco Morabito, Producers
DARKEST HOUR
Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten and Douglas Urbanski, Producers
DUNKIRK
Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
GET OUT
Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm Jr. and Jordan Peele, Producers
LADY BIRD
Scott Rudin, Eli Bush and Evelyn O’Neill, Producers
PHANTOM THREAD
JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson, Megan Ellison and Daniel Lupi, Producers
THE POST
Amy Pascal, Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger, Producers
THE SHAPE OF WATER
Guillermo del Toro and J. Miles Dale, Producers
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin and Martin McDonagh, Producers
PRODUCTION DESIGN
NOMINEES
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
BLADE RUNNER 2049
Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Alessandra Querzola
DARKEST HOUR
Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
DUNKIRK
Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
THE SHAPE OF WATER
Production Design: Paul Denham Austerberry; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau and Jeff Melvin
SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
NOMINEES
DEAR BASKETBALL
Glen Keane and Kobe Bryant
GARDEN PARTY
Victor Caire and Gabriel Grapperon
LOU
Dave Mullins and Dana Murray
NEGATIVE SPACE
Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata
REVOLTING RHYMES
Jakob Schuh and Jan Lachauer
SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
NOMINEES
DEKALB ELEMENTARY
Reed Van Dyk
THE ELEVEN O’CLOCK
Derin Seale and Josh Lawson
MY NEPHEW EMMETT
Kevin Wilson, Jr.
THE SILENT CHILD
Chris Overton and Rachel Shenton
WATU WOTE/ALL OF US
Katja Benrath and Tobias Rosen
SOUND EDITING
NOMINEES
BABY DRIVER
Julian Slater
BLADE RUNNER 2049
Mark Mangini and Theo Green
DUNKIRK
Richard King and Alex Gibson
THE SHAPE OF WATER
Nathan Robitaille and Nelson Ferreira
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
Matthew Wood and Ren Klyce
SOUND MIXING
NOMINEES
BABY DRIVER
Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin and Mary H. Ellis
BLADE RUNNER 2049
Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill and Mac Ruth
DUNKIRK
Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker and Gary A. Rizzo
THE SHAPE OF WATER
Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern and Glen Gauthier
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Stuart Wilson
VISUAL EFFECTS
NOMINEES
BLADE RUNNER 2049
John Nelson, Gerd Nefzer, Paul Lambert and Richard R. Hoover
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2
Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner and Dan Sudick
KONG: SKULL ISLAND
Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza and Mike Meinardus
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Neal Scanlan and Chris Corbould
WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES
Joe Letteri, Daniel Barrett, Dan Lemmon and Joel Whist
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
NOMINEES
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME
Screenplay by James Ivory
THE DISASTER ARTIST
Screenplay by Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
LOGAN
Screenplay by Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green; Story by James Mangold
MOLLY’S GAME
Written for the screen by Aaron Sorkin
MUDBOUND
Screenplay by Virgil Williams and Dee Rees
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
NOMINEES
THE BIG SICK
Written by Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
GET OUT
Written by Jordan Peele
LADY BIRD
Written by Greta Gerwig
THE SHAPE OF WATER
Screenplay by Guillermo del Toro & Vanessa Taylor; Story by Guillermo del Toro
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
Written by Martin McDonagh


Free Lunch??? American Heart Association Walk

Ivy Law Group is raising money for the American Heart Association. Join us!  Go to www2.heart.org.  Find the heart walk, click donate, find our team (Ivy Law Group) and donate! Top contributor gets lunch with the Ivy Law Group team!

American Heart Association

Learn more about the American Heart Association’s efforts to reduce death caused by heart disease and stroke. Also learn about cardiovascular conditions, ECC and CPR, donating, heart disease information for healthcare professionals, caregivers, and educators and healthy living.

www2.heart.org